2002 Baseball Season

Below are more headlines from the 2002 baseball season, including Lance Berkman showing his multiple talents with the Astros, and Barry Bonds having an outstanding season and setting multiple major league records.

Curveballing Barry Zito Cops Cy

Southpaw Barry Zito's 23-5 season in 2002 boosted the Athletics to the American League West title. Besides his league-leading win total, he ranked third in the American League in ERA (2.75) and strikeouts (182). For his efforts, the lefty curveball specialist picked up the American League Cy Young Award. Illustrating how the game had changed over the years, Zito won the Cy Young despite recording just one complete game all season.

Alex Rodriguez Bops 57 Homers, Wins Gold

While Alex Rodriguez couldn't lift the Rangers into contention by himself in 2002, he certainly did his best. He cemented his reputation as the American League's most dangerous hitter by pacing the league with 57 homers (an Major League shortstop record), 142 RBI, and 389 total bases. Rodriguez also led American League shortstops in putouts and double plays and won his first Gold Glove. He finished second to Miguel Tejada in league MVP voting.

Lance Berkman Spearheads National League in RBI

Lance Berkman was the Astros' Mr. Everything in 2002. Converting to center field, he shined defensively while wreaking offensive havoc all year. He hit .292 with 42 homers, 107 walks, and a National League-high 128 RBI. He also ranked among the league's top ten in home runs, on-base percentage, total bases, and slugging percentage. Berkman became one of just five switch-hitters ever to bash 40 homers in one season.

Miguel Tejada's Key Hits Lead to MVP Award

American League MVP Miguel Tejada chipped in plenty of big hits during the Athletics' 20-game winning streak that began on August 13, 2002. On September 1, his second homer of the game -- a three-run walk-off shot -- gave the A's their 18th consecutive victory. The next day, his ninth-inning single again plated the winning run. Tejada also enjoyed a 24-game hitting streak en route to his .308, 34-homer campaign.

Barry Bonds Sets Major League Records for Walks, OBP

Giants left fielder Barry Bonds enjoyed another epic season in 2002. He won his first batting title at .370, shattered his own major league record for walks in a season with 198, and clubbed his 600th career homer on August 9 off Pittsburgh's Kip Wells. Bonds struck out just 47 times and nearly matched the figure with 46 home runs. His .582 on-base percentage also established an all-time single-season mark.

2002 Giants Club the Cardinals in NLCS

Giants pitchers allowed just 16 runs in five games, and San Francisco sluggers Barry Bonds, Rich Aurilia, and Benito Santiago drove in a combined 17 runs.

Scott Spiezio Spanks the Big Hits

Anaheim first baseman Scott Spiezio lashes a two-run triple in game three of the 2002 World Series at San Francisco's PacBell Park, helping his club to a 10-4 thrashing of the Giants. Spiezio, who had stroked .285 with 82 RBI during the regular season, also delivered a huge hit in game six. With the Angels down 5-0 in the seventh, his three-run homer started a come-back that culminated in a 6-5 win.

Monkey Helps Rally the Angels

A seemingly innocuous idea -- flashing a picture of a monkey jumping up and down on the scoreboard at Edison Field at Anaheim -- grew into something special in 2002: the Rally Monkey phenomenon. When the Angels were down late in the game and needed a Comeback, pictures of the leaping monkey would work fans into a frenzy, giving the Angels a special home-field advantage.

The next page highlights key events and details from the 2002 baseball season.